ABC asks physicists: What was it like for Mitt’s mutt?

posted at 9:58 pm on June 30, 2007 by Allahpundit

Very clearly a hit piece, yet just goofy and tongue-in-cheek enough to qualify as ironic and “playful.” Jon Stewart has taught you well, young Skywalker.

Background here if you missed Muttgate when it first broke. Ann Romney answered the critics this morning, writing on the campaign blog that it’s no big deal, that in fact the little scrapper loved hurtling through space at 60 mph in his cozy kennel camper. Fair enough — but what do Nobel-prize-winning physicists have to say about this very important scientific story?

All kidding aside, what exactly would be the dangers of strapping the family pet to the roof of a speeding vehicle for 12 hours?…

Dr. Russell Cumming, a professor of aerospace engineering at California Polytechnic State University, got a little more technical.

“At that speed, assuming sea level conditions, the poor little dog would have about 10 pounds per square foot pressing against his head,” said Cumming.

And in layman’s terms?

“He would constantly feel a little less than 3 pounds pressing on his head for the entire trip,” he added. “The windshield would help, but boy that would get tired.”

Nobel Prize-winning physicist Douglas Osheroff of physics at Stanford University said the dog crate on top of the car would change the air flow around the vehicle.

“Beyond a certain velocity, the air flow becomes turbulent,” said Osheroff. “The airflow isn’t going to be laminar,” which means it won’t have a uniform distribution.

Cumming said that’s bad news for Seamus.

“Chances are the windshield would only protect the front of the dog, but the air flowing around the windshield would buffet the side of the dog — that would be tiring,” said Cummings. “My wife’s a vet, and she would be more worried by the dehydration of the dog’s eyes under those conditions.”

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If that dog being strapped to the roof is such a bad thing, then i wonder where peta is when you see all these dogs on the back of pickups here in Texas. Where is he ACLU when you see all these wetbacks on the back of pickups?

Flash! Mitt Romney, at age 12, destroyed an ENTIRE colony of ants with his magnifying glass! Meanwhile fred? Thompson, age 12, lobbies the neighborhood to limit dog owners liability after their dog mauled several kids on the street.

When I was a teenager my brother had a ferret and he was a great pet! No kidding, he was a lot of fun to play with and his antics were hilarious.

I don’t know the background story; maybe the caller has hundreds of ferrets living in his home or something, in which case Rudy’s advice would be valid, but I wonder if Rudy is the one with psychological problems. Did Rudy pass a law against ferrets and weasels in NY, I’m assuming? If so, maybe that’s why he’s trying to find a new home for himself in DC.

Unfortunately for Rudy there is a sizable portion of the population of this country who love their pets and a lot of them vote Republican. This is not going to help his chances of finding a new home.

Hey, my dog lays in direct sunlight on a hot day and pants. You figure that one out.

Dogs are stupid and lovable. I doubt Sparky was horribly traumatized, he probably just enjoyed the scenery and the smell of the open road.

Its a freaking dog people (by which I mean the Muttgate morons), they only complain when you accidentely step on them or deliberately mistreat them, and doing the latter is punishable by law. The dog isn’t thinking about how many psi are on its face, its probably distracted by getting to see more than one house and yard.

I understand the appeal for ferrets. What I don’t get is the smell. Maybe that is a reflection on the owner, but every person I have ever met with a ferret kept them in long meandering cages in their homes, and they always smelled real bad.

I was flipping though the channels last night when I came upon the movie Ghandi and a scene of a bunch of people riding on top of a train in India(something I think see happens in a lot of places)..and thought if these people can ride on a train with no ill effect just how bad could it have been for a dog who at least had a carrier to protect him from the elements.

Not stupid, heartless. He clearly didn’t care much about the dog and neither did anybody else in that car. I am assuming of coarse this wasn’t some nice kennel that actually blocked the wind and secured nicely to the roof – one that you’d have a high degree of confidence the dog wouldn’t be hurt of uncomfortable in. However, the hypocrisy of the media is sickening.

…but every person I have ever met with a ferret kept them in long meandering cages in their homes, and they always smelled real bad.

csdeven on June 30, 2007 at 10:34 PM

One of my college roomates had 2 ferrets he kept in our apartment for a semester…but they ran around like cats, and got into everything . They were supposedly “de-smelled” or whatever the proper term is, but they still stinkied up the place.

Dogs are not people. I love dogs, I have dogs, but they are not people. They poop wherever they want, they sniff other dogs’ butts, they eat old stuff off the floor, they like to hang their heads out the windows until the slobber runs all the way down the side of the car. For a physicist to assess the comfort of the dog based on human conditions doesn’t say much for the physicist. The dog might not have liked it the whole time, but I’ll guarantee you he didn’t hate it nearly as much as you would.

Pablo
When a dog puts its’ head out the window he has control. When he is tired he pulls it back in, and then out again. Also, the wind isn’t hitting against anything. This dog had no control over its’ environment. But apparently there are people here who have no problem with the abuse of a family pet. So, vote for Mitt.

10. I think they’re barking up the wrong tree.
9. It’s a case of the tail wagging the dog.
8. They’re panting after a story.
7. They’re doggone wrong on this one.
6. They didn’t fetch all the right facts.
5. Their yapping is getting on my nerves
4. Seamus was not a Lassie.
3. Their insurance had no rider claws.
2. That dog won’t hunt.
1. Maybe they should have put him in the Rover.

Oh! It’s an “Experts Say” article.
Physicist and Aerospace, no less, with obviously waaaaaaay to much free time on their hands.
But, curiously, no vet.
Or perhaps the ever bouncy Irish Setter Seamus didn’t need any help from anyone.
News? Science Fiction, and poorly concocted SF at that.

I don’t think it’s going to come down to Mitt and Hillary. So I feel I’m safe in not being impressed with Mitt. But I already didn’t like him. If I had this would have given me pause and I would have hoped that he realized his lack of judgment on this issue and would understand how some people would feel about it. But I would gather that he is probably like a lot of the posters here.

10. I think they’re barking up the wrong tree.
9. It’s a case of the tail wagging the dog.
8. They’re panting after a story.
7. They’re doggone wrong on this one.
6. They didn’t fetch all the right facts.
5. Their yapping is getting on my nerves
4. Seamus was not a Lassie.
3. Their insurance had no rider claws.
2. That dog won’t hunt.
1. Maybe they should have put him in the Rover.

We all know the Left has no problem with animal cruelty. Muslims are by far the cruelest ethnic group to animals. Yet, we all know how the Left loves the muslims and hasn’t a bad word about them. There is a saying: There are two things you don’t want to be in a muslim country. One is a dog.

The theory is sound. It’s like forcing everyone to have auto insurance.

The idea is, the people pay one way or the other (nobody is denied medical care base don ability to pay today, we all pay through higher rates and taxes) so everyone has to be covered (everyone has to pay their fair share by having a policy from a provider).

Hopefully, it will keep all the freeloaders from using our emergency rooms as their primary care center and not paying a dime (and if you don’t think that’s a major issue you probably haven’t had to go to the emergency room in the last 10 years)

If it will work in practice is a whole other matter. For example, I have no idea what happens if people show up in the emergency room with the flu and no coverage…

(Okay, Rosie called on physicists from Harvard and Yale, my bad. By the way, I’ve always thought her departure was partly, even if it was just a small part, because she couldn’t produce these people to support her position after claiming she would)

Badger,
I’m sure some of you are joking. And yes, I do think that dragging something up that is this old is just slinging dirt, but I don’t think that excuses his lack of judgment. However, like I said I didn’t like him anyway and really don’t think he has much of a chance. Any Republican is better than Hillary but I would like to vote for a candidate, not just against one.

Oh come on. This happened 34 years ago. That dog has been in doggy heaven for the last 20 years or so, telling his buddies about his vacation adventures with his family. I can’t for the life of me understand why this is an issue at all. Hasn’t anyone seen a cattle truck? Why don’t they wring their hands for the friggin cows? They “go for rides” everyday in big open containers and breathing diesel exhaust. Surely there is a senator somewhere with a vested interest in the cattle industry who condones such treatment. Go after them. Jeez. Non issue.

10. I think they’re barking up the wrong tree.
9. It’s a case of the tail wagging the dog.
8. They’re panting after a story.
7. They’re doggone wrong on this one.
6. They didn’t fetch all the right facts.
5. Their yapping is getting on my nerves
4. Seamus was not a Lassie.
3. Their insurance had no rider claws.
2. That dog won’t hunt.
1. Maybe they should have put him in the Rover.

Character is a valid issue. But those who don’t care, won’t change their minds. And those who do will still support him if he is right on enough issues. They will just see it as a lapse.
Rose on July 1, 2007 at 12:03 AM

Lets see if you can answer a direct question.

Who is in the best position to know if what happened 25 years ago was cruel to the dog. Mitt! or you?

Taking the word of a scientist who’s first sentence uses the word “assuming” is just silly. Especially the people who were there said the dog was fine and LOVED it. Dog owners know when their dogs love something.

Now, getting a transcript, witnesses, and sound bites are something we can sink our teeth into and make a judgment. And when it comes to freds? record, we have no shortage of material to skewer him over.

Mitt is a flip flopper on abortion, health care and gun control. He was quoted recently as stating he was a life long hunter but only hunted twice in his life. Does that make him a liar too? He might be a good Olympic salesman but I wouldn’t buy aluminum siding or a used car from him.

One of my dogs likes to be scratched behind the ears. My other dog likes her throat scratched because her throat was ripped out by her own mother when she was a pup. I stayed up all night and the ensuing days tending to her. Both my dogs like to lay on the cool concrete during the hot summer months. They like cool dirt also as they have dug up two of my flower beds. They don’t like fireworks or thunderstorms because they come hide behind me when they occur. One loves to ride in the car hanging her head out the window whereas they other one does not. Both do not mind the leash and I have never had to use treats to get my dogs to behave. My dogs love me. They love me because I praise them when they do as I command and dogs are most happy when their alpha is happy. So, I am the alpha to my dogs. I engage them as the alpha wolf engages their pack. I use high pitches and low tones to communicate my desires. When dogs know where they are in the hierarchy they are happy. I give them that. I don’t confuse my dogs by letting them be the alpha one day and then subservient the next. I allow them to settle their hierarchy between themselves.

Labs and Retrievers, like Irish setters are working dogs. They are bred to be more tolerant and accepting of extreme conditions. Working dogs will tolerate the loud report of guns etc. They accept confinement and are not traumatized by it. These are not your typical rat bastard yapper dog that needs to be treated like a child and dressed up like a dolly and given a place at the family dinner table and if you scold them they go crap in the middle of your bed. The Irish Setter is a mans dog and he is breed to be a bad ass mo fo.

These are not your typical rat bastard yapper dog that needs to be treated like a child and dressed up like a dolly and given a place at the family dinner table and if you scold them they go crap in the middle of your bed. The Irish Setter is a mans dog and he is breed to be a bad ass mo fo.

But since I don’t have the right to judge Mitt’s motives than what right do you have to judge Mr. Thompson’s motives. Actions are actions and I disagree with Mitt’s action in this incident just as you have the right to judge Mr. Thompson’s actions.

But since I don’t have the right to judge Mitt’s motives than what right do you have to judge Mr. Thompson’s motives. Actions are actions and I disagree with Mitt’s action in this incident just as you have the right to judge Mr. Thompson’s actions.
Rose on July 1, 2007 at 12:59 AM

If fred? could say that the people who he was working against LOVED it and didn’t mind, then I’d agree.

Rose, when I lived in Wyoming, we had a guy in town that had an Irish wolfhound. He drove this old reconstructed deuce-and-a-half, and that dog rode on top of the cab. Weirdest thing you ever saw. I lived in that town for 15 years. Never saw that dog on the street. Just on the roof of that truck.

Sure, he could have been catapulted off that truck in an emergency, and he could have fallen off on a sharp turn, and I’m sure PETA would have done their best to charge that old man with animal cruelty. I never saw that dog falter on that truck. And I’ve never seen a happier animal.

Dog lovers need to remember that dogs are not homo sapiens. They’re canines. Mitt’s dog wasn’t being beaten or starved or had electroshock therapy. He was traveling with his family, his pack, to a destination where he was loved and a part of the festivities instead of being left behind.

This is a nonstory. It involves a relationship that you and I both know was nothing about cruelty. It was about love and acceptance and being part of the family before and after the trip.

I’m doggie people too. I have two of my own and we’re watching a third for a friend of ours who is out of town. Discomfort doesn’t equate cruelty, especially if the dog doesn’t think he’s uncomfortable. Abandonment at a vet’s office or a boarding facility causes a lot more anxiety in some dogs that can lead to real health problems, including loss of appetite and weight, which can lead to other health problems.

I wasn’t there — none of us were there. We’re only seeing a story designed to put someone in a bad light. And those kind of stories generally succeed.